Australia’s Aged Care Sector will requires 170,000 additional carers by 2031. Increases in Federal Government funding come with increases in mandated direct patient care. Meeting these requirements using overtime or agency staff can jeopardise the finances of an aged care facility. Strategic immigration brings coherence to patient care, financial viability and sector stability.
Australia’s Aged Care Sector will requires 170,000 additional carers by 2031. Increases in Federal Government funding come with increases in mandated direct patient care. Meeting these requirements using overtime or agency staff can jeopardise the finances of an aged care facility. Strategic immigration brings coherence to patient care, financial viability and sector stability.
Australia’s aged care sector is undergoing a significant transformation due to the increasing aging population. Aged care organizations are grappling with the challenge of maintaining high-quality services while facing workforce shortages. Successive Federal governments have increased funding to the sector, and in 2019 the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) commenced, and became a requirement for all aged care providers, to ensure minimum care levels for residents. In October 2023, an additional requirement of 200 minutes of direct care, per patient, per day was added to this mandate.
Despite the welcome additional funding, aged care providers struggle to find staff to meet these requirements, and are forced to resort to agency staff, who cost up to 60% more than regular employees. With staff making up the bulk of aged care costs, and narrow margins in the sector, staff shortages can severely impact aged care facility finances, potentially making them unviable. Strategic migration assists in solving this staff gap through recruitment of skilled professionals from overseas. Ultimately, a fully staffed sector will increase patient care, stabilise the finances of crucial facilities, and create a robust national network built to meet the needs of aging Australians.
Australia’s aging population has led to a surge in demand for aged care services, resulting in workforce shortages. Strategic migration services provide a feasible solution to bridge this gap by enabling aged care organizations to tap into a global pool of skilled professionals. The Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa, also known as the TSS Visa, offers an avenue for organizations to bring in skilled workers from overseas to fill positions that cannot be sourced locally. For instance, doctors and registered nurses are integral to providing quality care in aged care facilities, and the TSS Visa allows these organizations to address staffing deficiencies swiftly.
A range of visa options are available for Aged Care staff, including the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417); Temporary Work (skilled) Visa (subclass 457); Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462); Temporary work (short stay activity) Visa (subclass 400); Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186); Regional sponsored migration scheme Visa (subclass 187); and the Special Category Visa (subclass 444).
For registered nurses, who play a pivotal role in aged care facilities, sponsorship under the TSS Visa’s Medium-Term stream is applicable. This stream grants registered nurses the opportunity to work in Australia for up to four years, addressing long-term staffing needs and enhancing the quality of care for elderly residents.
Aged care staff, encompassing various roles such as caregivers and personal support workers, can be sponsored through the Subclass 482 Visa as well. This visa provides the flexibility to bring in skilled workers across multiple disciplines, contributing to the holistic care provided to elderly residents.
The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa further supports this by allowing employers to nominate skilled workers, such as aged care staff, to permanently work and reside in Australia. This visa encourages the retention of experienced professionals, who not only contribute to improved care but also foster a sense of inclusivity among residents.
Labour Agreements are formal agreements established between the Australian government and approved employers to address specific skill shortages. These agreements are designed to facilitate the recruitment of skilled workers from overseas to fill positions that cannot be readily met by the domestic labour market. In the Aged Care sector, these agreements often allow approved providers to sponsor overseas workers, such as nurses and caregivers, to ensure that the elderly population receives the necessary care and support, thus maintaining the quality of aged care services in Australia. These agreements typically come with certain eligibility criteria and obligations for both employers and sponsored employees to ensure fair and responsible migration practices.
For more than 20 years, Absolute Immigration has worked with health and aged care providers to meet the growing health needs of Australians. In addition to individual visa applications, we have worked with providers on complex strategies to address workforce shortages. Within Labour Agreements, Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs), are a specific type of labour agreement designed to address regional labour shortages for specific geographic areas allowing sponsorship of skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for temporary or permanent employment when suitable local candidates cannot be found.
Company-specific labour agreements, also known as Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs), are another type of labor agreement designed for large Australian businesses that have significant labour needs. EMAs allow these companies to sponsor skilled overseas workers when they cannot meet their workforce requirements with the local labour market.
Alongside specific agreements, Absolute Immigration has worked with major Australian companies in innovative strategies to source and train talent in local overseas markets, to upskill candidates so they are eligible for employment and sponsorship in Australia.
To work in Australia’s aged system, applicants must meet skills assessments required for visa purposes.
The main types of work visas available for healthcare workers include:
Your visa options for nursing depend on your specialisation and where you want to work as a nurse.
Once registered, there may need to be a bridging course to ensure you are at the Australian nursing standards.
There is also a skills assessment for visa application.
There are many opportunities for aged care worker visas in Australia. Aged care institutions can sponsor overseas nurses for the Temporary Skills Shortage 482 visa for occupations such as Nursing Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant, or Aged or Disabled Carer.
If such a temporary visa holder has been in Australia for 2 years or more, then you can look at sponsoring them for permanent residency under the Employer Nomination Scheme 186 visa.
If you are an aged care worker who wishes to live and work in Australia, contact our team of experts and book a discovery call. With our understanding and experience of the health care industry, we can assist with your goals.
Once you reach out to Absolute Immigration, we set up a discovery call to understand what your needs are and what Visa best suits you.
From there, we will send you a Strategy proposal outlining the steps we will take to assist you in getting a Visa for you to sign off on.
Now our team leaps into action, following immigration pathways, taking care of the paperwork and helping you through the entire application process.
Speak to one of our experienced team members at Absolute Immigration. Discuss your background and challenges and we will assist in developing an immigration pathway for you to work in the Australian healthcare system.
You can book a free 10 minute consultation for follow up questions
You can get in touch with the team through our support email.
There are nine applicable visa types you can apply for to work in the Aged Care sector . To find out which one best suits your skills, chat with the team at Absolute Immigration. We will discover what you want from your time in Australia, and help match you with the right visa type.
You can get in touch with the team on our support lines: +64226419411
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Disclaimer:Information on this website does not constitute personal migration advice and is provided for general information and education purposes only. Accordingly, before taking any actions based on such information, we encourage you to consult with one of our Immigration Advisers who are all bound by the IAA Code of Conduct.
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